bok
/bôːk/
bok is the Croatian way to say bye.
bok is used as an informal way to say both.
Meaning: short for goodbye (intj)
Which one should you use?
While bok is the standard informal choice, there are other ways to say goodbye depending on the situation. Doviđenja is the standard and most common formal way to say goodbye. Zbogom is a formal term used to indicate a longer or more permanent separation. Adio is a formal way to say goodbye that has been borrowed from Italian.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
bok is an informal greeting and should be avoided in formal or professional situations.
How do you pronounce it?
/bôːk/
Did you know?
- In Croatian, the word bok also means 'side' or 'flank' of a person or a ship. This creates a homonym where the word for 'bye' is the same as the word for a physical side.
- The informal bok likely originated as a shortening of a blessing, such as 'Bog s tobom', which means 'God be with you'.
Examples in context
- Zbogom, hvala na predivnoj večeri.Goodbye, thank you for the wonderful evening.
- Adio, srdačan pozdrav.Goodbye, warm regards.
- Bok! Vidimo se sutra!Bye! See you tomorrow!
- Bok ekipa!Bye, guys!
- Bok!Bye!
- Bok, vidimo se sutra.Bye, see you tomorrow.
- Bok, čujemo se kasnije.Bye, we'll talk later.
Example conversation
Luka and Ivana are finishing their coffee at a cafe.
- LukaHvala na kavi, Ivana.Thanks for the coffee, Ivana.
- IvanaNema na čemu, Luka.You're welcome, Luka.
- LukaBok, vidimo se!Bye, see you!
- IvanaBok, skrbaj se!Bye, take care!
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry bok, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries bok, CC BY-SA 4.0.
